Tunnel construction.



110.123,.207. I PATENITED MAR. 24, 1903.

J. w. RENO.

TUNNEL cousmucnon.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 24, 1902.

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PA ENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

' J. RENO.

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24, 1902.

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JNJ J/ WITNESS ATTORNEY N UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE- JEssE'W. RENO, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

TUNNEI CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. "$323,307, dated March 24, 1903. Application filed December 24, 902. Serial No. 136,454. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE W. RENO, a citi-.

zen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunnel Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention'relates to the construction of tunnels, and has for its object to provide a method and a construction for tunnels especially adapted for the easily-compressible earth-such as silt, wet sand, and the l'ikefrequently found underthe beds ofrivers.

My invention consists in .providing a tun-.

nel-shell, preferably of the-'well-known type, in which segmental iron rings are bolted together toform the tunnel-wall and in firmly securing tothe base of the tunnel a longitubars of steel.

My invention consists, further, in providw ing a mechanical process or method by means of which my construction may be practically carried out.

The method of constructing a tunnel of segmental cast-iron rings is well known and consists, essentially, in driving a circular cutting-shield into the earth by hydraulic. or other means, in excavating the material with in the shield, and in placing circular-segmem tal rings behind the shield as it is forced forward.v A partition or bulkhead is placed in;-

the completed tunnel a short distance behind the cutting-shield, and in the compartment thus formed airis maintainedatapressuresuflficient to keep the water from entering this working compartment. Material is taken in and out of the working compartmentthrough a suitable air-lock in a manner which is well,

understood. Tunnels of this description are well adapted for certain situations, especially heavy. My present construction, however,

is designed for places where the earth through which the tunnel passes is comparatively soft and yielding, where the tunnels are large enough to take in the standard cars and 1000- so motives of the steam-roads, and Where the these conditions the thin shell of the ordinary tunnel construction is not rigid enough to withstand the enormous concentrated weights moving rapidly over it. Moreover, the vibrations caused by the rapidly-moving trains set up a motion in the particles of earth which immediately surround the walls of the tunnel, causing an unstable support for the walls and resultingin cracks and leaks in the tunnel.

In myinvention I provide aconcrete girder of suflici-ent mass to take up these vibrations before they reach the surrounding earth and of sufficient strength to distribute the load over alar'ge area. l I will first describe the tunnel structure and afterward the method or process employed in its construction.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a cross-section on line a a of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 represents a similar section where one part of theconcrete girder beneath the tunnel-shell has been built. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section of a tunnelin which the lower ends of the circular shell have been permanently removed and in which the end segments are anchored to the concrete girder. Fig. 5 represents ahorizontal section on line E'F of Fig. 4. i Fig. orepresents a section, on an enlarged scale, showing themanner in .which the shell is anchored to the concrete .Igirder. Fig. 7 represents a transverse section showing a modification of the shape of the concrete girder to give it a broader base.

Fig. 8 represents a longitudinal section of the completed tunnel, -showing therein an electric locomotive and car. attached thereto.

The reference characters are used in the same sense in all of the drawings and the' specification.

1 Numeral 1 represents; the" circular tunnel structure as it is ordinarily constructed. 7

2 represents thesegments, which are bolted together by the flanges 3 to-form the rings 4. i

These rings are in turn bolted together on their'sides and form the main part of the shell of the tunnel.

Ioo-

5 represents the external layer of concrete or grout formed on the outside of the segmental rings.

6 represents the concrete girder joined to the base of the tunnel.

7 represents longitudinal rods which are embedded beam the base of the concrete girder 6.

8 represents a drain pipe or tube in the center of the concrete girder.

9 represents the sheeting on the outside walls of the girder.

10 represents the sheeting on the inside wall of the outer section of the girder.

11 represents track-rails.

12 represents stringers on which the track'- rails rest.

13 represents narrow segments of the segmental rings located in the lower portion of the rings, the sides of which are parallel, so that they may be more conveniently withdrawn.

14 represents the segment adjacents to the narrow segments 13.

15 represents anchor-bolts which secure the end segments to the concrete girder.

It will be noted that by means of this structure a massive continuous bed is formed beneath the floor of the tunnel, which is adapted not only to absorb the short local vibrations incident to the rapid movement of heavy trains, but is also capable of distributing the load over a relatively large area. The concrete girder thus formed is abundantly able under ordinary circumstances to sustain the loads for which it is designed. It is, however, obvious that the concrete girder thus formed and anchored to the cast-iron shell above it will act with the shell as a single member or beam of relatively enormous moment of resistance, capable of distributing the load over a great length of the soft and easily-compressible earth in which it is located.

It is also to be pointed out that in the ordinary tunnel construction such as is herein described without the reinforcing concrete girder there is a decided buoyant efiect or tendency for the tunnel to float. The weight of such tunnel without my reinforcing-girder would be about three hundred and fifty (350) tons for the length of about thirty feet, while the weight of the material which the tunnel displaces for an equal length is about eight hundred and fifty (850) tons. It is therefore seen that in my construction this buoyant tendency is diminished to a great extent.

The method by which my invention is carried out is as follows: The segmental tunnel is driven, preferably, by means of a circular shield in the usual manner. A bulkhead is located a short distance back of the shield and advanced from time to time as the work progresses. The air in the space between the bulkhead and the shield is maintained at a pressure sufficient to prevent the entrance of water. When the shield has been advanced a sufiicient distance from the bulkhead, about fifty feet, one or two of the narrow segments 13 and the adjacent segments 14 are removed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and the earth beneath the tunnel is removed to form a trench for the concrete girder. This trench is preferably excavated in three separate sections, as indicated in Fig. 2. First, the outer sections are formed by driving the wooden sheeting (indicated by numerals 9 and 10 in Figs. 1 and 2) forward for a length sufficient to allow the placing of a length of tensionrods 7. The two side trenches are then filled with concrete in the same manner, the drainpipe 8 being formed by packing the concrete around suitable wooden molds, as is well understood. After the three sections of the trench have been filled with concrete up to the circular rings, forming the shell of the tunnel, the lower segments 13 and 14: are removed from the alternate rings, the anchorbolts 15 areinserted in position, and the concrete is built up to the required level to support the track-stringers or cross-ties for the rails. After the concrete has set the remaining lower segments may be removed and the spaces which they occupied filled with concrete, as before.

By removing at one time only the alternate segments and allowing the concrete which replaces those segments to set before the remaining segments are removed all tendency of the shell to collapse by reason of their removal is avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is--- ICO 1. In a tunnel structure, the combination with a cylindrical shell, of an exterior reinforcing member rigidly attach ed thereto.

2. In a tunnel structure, the combination with a cylindrical shell, of an exterior reinforcing member rigidly attached to the lower side thereof.

3. In a tunnel structure, the combination with a hollow cylindrical shell, of a relatively massive vibration-absorbing member rigidly secured to the exterior of said shell and continuous longitudinally therewith.

4. In a tunnel structure, the combination with an arched tunnel-Wall, of a concrete girder joined to its springers.

5. In a tunnel structure, the combination u A V,

the concrete girder having embedded near its base the longitudinal rods 7.

9. In a tunnel construction, the combination of iron segments bolted together in the form of a horseshoe-arch, a longitudinal concrete girder joining the end segments of said arch and anchor-bolts, securing said end segments to said concrete girder.

10. In a tunnel structure, the combination with a continuous segmental arch, of a concrete girder joined to its base, said concrete girder having a longitudinal drain pipe 9 formed within it.

. in driving a segmental tunnel through earth,

removing one or more of the lower segments,

excavating therebeneath, forcing sheetings I ahead and excavating between said shootings and filling in the excavation thus formed with concrete.

13. The herein-described method of constructing tunnels in easily compressible earth, consisting of first building a tunnel proper of segmental rings, then removing certain segments in the fioor of said-tunnel between the heading and the bulkhead, and then building under the floor a massive concrete girder.

14:. The herein-described method of constructing tunnels consisting of first, building a tunnel of segmental rings, excavating beneath the lower segments of said segmental rings, forming a concrete girder in the excavation thus formed, removing the alternate segments and replacing them with concrete.

15. The herein-described process for constructing a reinforced tunnel consisting in forcing a cutting-shield in advance of a bulkhead, maintaining air under pressure between the cutting-shield and the bulkhead, excavating material cut by said shield, lining the cut made by the shield with segments adapted to resist thecollapsing external pressure, excavating a trench beneath the working chamber and constructing therein a concrete girder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JESSE W. RENO.

Witnesses:

HARRY S. BANDLER, JOSEPH FOLLAND PERDUE. 

